Switch.



SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UDUUUUU mm mmdgmum PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

G. E. LYNCH.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Slum/mks:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. LYNCH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LYNCH, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at C0- The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with rack-rail systems and is so illustrated, though it might be adapted for use in an electric system in which the conductor-rail takes the place of the rack-rail shown in the drawings.

The invention relates particularly to a switch for the rack or analogous rail, so constructed that it overlies the ordinary wheelrails and arranged when moved into one position to accurately register with the permanent rack-rail sections of the main line and when thrown into the other position to accurately register with the turnout or branch rack rail.

I shall herein confine my description to the application of the invention to a rack-rail system, although, as stated, it is not limited in its useful applications to such an embodiment.

In a railway in which the engine is propelled by reason of the engagement of a toothed wheel carried thereby with a rackrail following the line of the track it is often and, indeed, generally necessary that the toothed wheel of the locomotive should be in constant engagement with the rack-rail, a break in the latter being very undesirable. It has heretofore been difficult to secure this at the switches; and my present invention has for its object to produce a rack-rail switch so constructed as to positively insure the continuity of the rack-rail coinciding with the line of track for which the switch is set.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of a railway operated on the rack-rail system, showing a switch and the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the switch in an intermediate positionthat is, in the act of being thrown. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A indicates the main line of the track, and B the branch line, leading therefrom. The movable switch-rails C control the movement of the cars along one or the other of the two lines of track in a wellknown manner.

D indicates the stationary or permanent sections of a rack-rail following the line of the main track A, and D a permanent section of the rack-rail following the branch line B. At the switch the rack-rail is provided with a frog E, terminating in two end sections F F, the former being in line with the permanent rack-rail sections of the main line and the latter being directed toward the section D of the branch line. Between the ends of the sections F F of the rack-rail frog and the ends of the permanent sections D D beyond the switch is an open space that is to be bridged by the movable switch-section of the rack-rail, which is represented by the letter G. It is a straight section of rack-rail pivotally supported upon a horizontal shaft I-I, about the axis of which it is adapted to turn, so as to occupy a position either in line with the permanent rack-rail sections F and D or branch sections F and D, accordingly as this switch-section is thrown.

As represented in Figs. 3 and 4, the rackra'ils are supported at a higher level than the wheel-rails and the switch-section G of the rack-rail is adapted to overlie the wheel-rail at the point the rack-rail crosses the same.

The shaft H is supported in the bearings 'i of a chair or support I, and fast to it are secured the hinged pieces J J, to which the swinging rack-rail section G is secured. The hinged pieces J J are of unequal length, the latter being longer, as it is manifest that the throw of the outer end of the movable rackrail section G must be considerably greater than the throw or movement of the inner end, and this is secured by making these hinged pieces of unequal length. In order to provide for the adjustment of the movable rack-rail section, so that it will accurately register with the permanent rail-sections of the main line and those of the branch, whatever be the radius of the curve of the latter, I slot one or both of the hinged pieces, as indicated at k, so that the points of attachment of the rail-sections thereto may be varied, being made nearer to or farther from the axis of the shaft H.

L L are abutments or stop-blocks arranged adjacent to the ends of the permanent rackrail sections D D beyond the switch and against which the outer or far end of the movable rack-rail section G abuts when thrown to place. These abutments prevent the switch member of the rack-rail from being moved outward under the severe strains to which it is subjected from the pull of the toothed wheel of the locomotive that engages therewith as it passes over the switch.

Iprefer to connect the switch of the rack-rail with the switch members 0 of the track-rails to cause their synchronous movement, though this is not an essential feature of my invention. As represented in Figs. 1 and 4 for the purpose of illustration, the shaft H is provided at one end with a pinion M, which meshes with a pivotally-mounted swingable segment-gear N. The latter is united by a system of bell-crank levers and links (designated as a whole by O) with the throw-bar of the switch-rails C.

By mounting the movable or throw member of the rack-rail upon a horizontally-disposed shaft that is arranged midway between the line of the rail following the main line and the line of the rail that follows the branch I insure that the simple throwing of the railsection shall cause it to properly register with the permanent rail-sections, no care being required to see that the movable rail-section stops in exactly the right position. This is very desirable where the switch is located in mines and other dark places. It will be ob served that in moving from one position to the other the throw member of the switch makes a half-revolution, so that one of its faces is uppermost when it is in line with the main track and the other when in line with the branch track.

Among the advantages incident. to my invention may be mentioned the following: The movable section of the rack-rail will always register with one or the other of the lines of the permanent rack-rails by reason of its weight, which holds it in proper working position when thrown. Not only does the weight of the movable rack-rail section G opcrate to hold it in its proper working positions when connected, as shown, with the switch-railC, but also serves to keep the latter in the desired positions when the switch is thrown. By mounting the movable member as shown it insures the continuity of the rack-rail over the track or Wheel rails, and it also makes it possible to fit or adjust the movable or throw member to switches of Widely different radii.

What I claim is-- 1. In combination with'a main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rail system for propulsion purposes arranged adjacent to and parallel with the track-rails and comprising a movable switch member arranged to register either with the main or the branch line of the propulsion-rails, such movable switch member being supported upon a horizontal axis about which it turns in moving from one of its positions to the other, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a main track, a branch track and a switch, of rack-rails arranged to follow each track, and a movable rack-rail section adjacent to the switch and arranged to be brought into line with the rack-rail following either track as they diverge, the rack-rail being mounted upon a horizontal pivot that is disposed midway between the lines of rack-rails following the respective tracks, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rack-rail following the main track, another rack-rail diverging therefrom and following the branch track, there being breaks in the said rackrails adjacent to the switch, and a movable rack-rail section arranged to bridge the break in one or the other of the lines of rack-rails accordingly as it is moved, such movable rackrail section being pivotally supported and arranged to lie with one of its faces uppermost when in line with one of the rack-rails and with its other face uppermost when in line with the other rack-rail, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rack-rail line following the main track, a rack-rail line following the branch track, and a movable rackrail section arranged to register with either one or the other of the rack-rail lines accordingly as it is thrown, a horizontal shaft, and hinge-sections of unequal length connecting the said shaft 'with the movable rack-rail member, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rack-rail line following the main track, a rack-rail line following the branch track, the said rack-rail lines coming together at the switch, the rackrails being laid on a higher level than the track-rails, and there being breaks in the permanent rack-rails where they would cross the track-rails, and a pivoted rack-rail section mounted on a horizontal axis and arranged when thrown in one position to overlie a track-rail of the main track and to bridge the break between the permanent sections of the rack-rail of the branch line and when thrown into the other position to overlie a trackrail of the branch line andto bridge the break between the ends of the permanent sections of the rack-rail along the main line, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with a main track, a branch track, and a switch, of a rack-rail following the main track, another rack-rail following the branch track, each rack-rail being broken or interrupted adjacent to the point where they come together, and a movable rack-rail section mounted upon a horizontal shaft, situated between the main and the branch tracks of the rack-rail and adjacent to the broken or interrupted portions thereof, and means for adjusting the connection of the movable rack-rail section with its shaft, whereby it may be adjusted to suit the angular divergence of the main and branch tracks, substantially asset forth.

7. In combination with a main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rack-rail line following the main track, another rack-rail line following the branch track, a movable rack-rail switch member, G, a shaft, H, horizontally disposed, and hinged pieces, J, J, uniting the movable switch member and the shaft, such hinged pieces being of unequal length and one of them being provided with means for adjusting the switch member toward and from the shaft, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with a main track, a branch track and a switch, of a rack-rail line following the main track, a rack-rail line following the branch track, a movable rack-rail switch member, G, mounted upon a horizontal shaft arranged adjacent to the point where the lines of rack-rails come together and adapted to be thrown into register with one or the other of the lines of the rack-rails, and abutments against which the movable rack-rail member bears when thrown into working positions, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination. with a main track, a branch track, a switch and a means for throwing the switch, of a rack-rail following the main track, a rack-rail following the branch track, a movable rack-rail section mounted upon a horizontal shaft adjacent to the point where the two lines of rack-rails come together and arranged to be thrown into a position to register with one or the other of the rack-rails, and connections between the shaft of the movable section of the rack-rail and the mechanism for throwing the switch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. LYNCH. Witnesses: JOHN S. PoLLARD, B. KING. 

